Olivia Mabry - Casi Lea photo
BY RICH PALZEWIC
CORRESPONDENT
Olivia Mabry is a senior member of the Bay Port High School track and field team as a sprinter, pole vaulter and long jumper. She has the school record in the pole vault (12 feet) and was a sixth-place finisher last season at the WIAA D1 state track and field meet in La Crosse. She also ran cross country this past fall for the first time.
Olivia plans to attend D2 Grand Valley State University in Michigan and will study nursing.
Olivia moved to the Howard-Suamico School District her sophomore year from Colorado and recently scored a 30 on her ACT.
Name: Olivia Mabry
Nickname: Liv, Mabry
Parents: Cindy & Mark
School: Bay Port
Sports: track & field, cross country
Events: pole vault, long jump, sprints
Twitter: @OMabry16
Any siblings?
“I have an older brother named Ben who graduated last year.”
Do you come from a sports family?
“My brother played on the hockey team, my mom played volleyball in high school and my dad did track.”
You’re an accomplished athlete in track & field … how did cross country go?
“I only went out my senior year and it was fun! It was definitely rough because I’m only used to running 100 meters, not 5,000! It was a challenge and I really liked it. I’m not good with ball coordination, so it was a good fit for me.”
How many years have you been in track?
“I’ve done track all four years in high school.”
Olivia Mabry, Bay Port school-record holder in the pole vault has a nice ring to it!
“Yes (laughing)! I came here not expecting myself to get that, so it’s really nice.”
What’s it like soaring 12 feet above the ground on a skinny little pole trying to clear a bar?
“It’s an unreal experience. I sometimes don’t know myself. At first it was a little scary, but now I’m so used to it. I am literally upside down at some point.”
I bet that takes a lot of practice and technique?
“You have to have upper-body strength, core and lower-body strength. It requires a lot of strength to get your body up over the bar. I used to be in gymnastics and that has really helped me.”
Have you ever snapped a pole?
“No, but once I landed straight on the cross bar and snapped that in half! I hope I never break a pole.”
How fast are you?
“I think I’m pretty fast. I’m not one of the top sprinters on the team, but I’m pretty fast for short distances.”
If you could do one event that you currently don’t do, which would it be?
“I think hurdles would be fun, but it also seems kind of scary! In the 300 hurdles you are almost running a 400 and jumping over hurdles at the same time. It looks hard.”
How about an event that you’d like to see added?
“I think maybe a few more sprint relays or the steeplechase!”
Do you and De Pere pole vaulter Olivia Fabry get confused a lot?
“We are actually good friends! A lot of people get us confused, especially at check-in time for the meets! We both get a lot of weird looks.”
How about a sport you wish you could have tried?
“I just wish I would have done cross country all four years. It would have been cool to see how much I would have improved.”
How about a most embarrassing moment?
“Two years ago at the conference meet on my pole vault, I went up and basically came straight back down on the runway. Coach Murphy had to catch me.”
What is something about you that most people wouldn’t know?
“I was born in South Korea and adopted when I was six months old. My family was a military family, so we moved around a lot. I’ve lived in Virginia and New Jersey as well.”
What are some of your hobbies?
“I like to bake, but I can’t do it too often! I also like to hang out with friends and shop.”
What three words best describe you?
“Funny, caring, athletic.”
What is something you want to do before you die?
“Parachuting! Being in the air and seeing everything below you would be so cool.”
Flashback to when you were 10 years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?
“Oh oh! Honestly, I was thinking of being a nun (laughing)! I don’t know why, but I went to a Catholic elementary school. Maybe that had something to do with it.”
How will Olivia Mabry be remembered at Bay Port after graduation?
“Hopefully as someone who made people smile, cared about them and was friends with a lot of people.”
Tree house or tiny house? “Tree house.”
Puppies or kittens? “Puppies.”
Spring or fall? “Spring.”
Watch TV or read a book? “Read the book.”
Fruits or veggies? “Fruits.”
Favorites
Food: Pad Thai
Subject: math
TV show: The Office
Holiday: Christmas
App: Snapchat
Notes: Suggestions for the Senior Spotlight can be submitted to Rich via email (palzewic@hotmail.com) or by Twitter (@richpalzewic) … all spotlights can be found online at thepress.media. Check out last week’s spotlight on Bay Port’s Allyson Gajeski.
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